Japanese Laid Open Patent No. 9-94319 discloses a hopper for dispensing discs one-by-one and a guiding device for aligning and guiding the dispensed discs. The guiding device extends perpendicular and is fixed at a gaming machine that includes a removable hopper. The removable hopper can be maintained outside of the gaming machine, allowing for easy maintenance. The guiding device includes a preventing device, located at the middle of the guiding device, for holding discs to prevent the discs from falling when the guiding device is separated from the hopper. Any discs that are located under the preventing device fall when the guiding device is separated from the hopper. In this case, the fallen discs scatter within the gaming machine, or the discs are taken away from the guiding device to prevent the disc scattering. Consequently, maintenance and operation of a machine including this guiding device is relatively difficult.
Japanese Utility Model No. 7-49573 discloses another guiding device that includes an opening at a lower section of the device, such that discs fall from the opening when the guiding device is separated from the hopper. The device requires that the guiding device must be full with discs before operation of the device. Thus, preparation of the device, which requires filling the device, is relatively difficult.
For the foregoing reasons, improved devices for dispensing discs are desired.